Portable punch



(Model-J "0. .A. GOSS, Portable Punch.

' N0. 237,178. Patented Feb. 1,188!

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UNITED STATES PATENT @EFICE.

ORVILLE A. GOSS, OF SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA.

PORTABLE PUNCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,178, dated February1, 1881.

Application filed July 1, 1880. (Model) To all whom it may concern .Beit known that I, ORVILLE A. Gross, a citizen of the United States,residing at Shreve' port, in the parish of Gaddo and State of Louisiana,have invented certain new and useful 11nprovementsin PortableHand-Punches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of the invention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters orfigures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of thisspecification.

This invention relates to the special class of hand portable punches forpunching holes in the rails while on the track without being heated,removed, or at all disturbed in their position.

Heretofore a portable punch for the same object as mine has beenconstructed, but it requires auxiliary means in the clamp to make theattachment to the rail on the track. These auxiliary means for fittingthe web of the rail are detachable from the clamp, thereby renderingthem difficult to adjust, consuming much time, and are liable to becomelost in transportation, in which event the clamp becomes of no practicalutility, and under no circumstance can the device he used without theauxiliary die. x

The main object of my improvement is to overcome these seriousobjections, and to construct a clamp that can be readily and quicklyadjusted to a T-shaped rail for mending broken rails on the track.

Another objectof my improvement is to simplify the construction and makethe tool in a few parts, all properly united, without any possibledanger of the parts being detached and becoming lost.

The improvement therefore consists in constructing one of the jaws ofthe clamp an integral part thereof, so as to fit snugly the web,

45 flange, and under surface of the tread of a rail,

thereby forming a firm base for the punch, op-

erated by a ratchet device.

It also consists in the novel construction and arrangement of the parts,as will be here- 50 inafter more fully set forth, and pointed out in theclaims.

Figure 1 represents a cross-section of the T-shaped rail on the track,with my improved clamp in position for use. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewof my improved portable hand-punch, with the lever detached at one side.

In the annexed drawings, forming a part of this specification, theletter A represents my improved clamp constructed of metal of sufficientsize and weight so as to permit of its being used in punchingrailroad-rails on the track. The upper portion of the rail-clampisprovided with elongated opening I) for the passage of the hand to carryand handle the same.

The outer jaw, B, of the clamp extending inwardly is reduced to awidththat is equal to the space between the upper surface of the baseflangeand the under flange of the tread of an ordinary T-shaped rail,substantially as shown in the drawings. The vertical wall 0 of this jawis designed to rest or fit exactly against the web portion of the railto sustain the pressure or resistance from the rail. Also, this portionof the jaw or rail-clamp is provided with a tapering passage, d, toreceive and discharge the punch wads or pieces of the rail. Thisconstruction of the jaw B, extending inwardly and forming an integralpart of the clamp, is material, since great strength is secured at thispoint, where it is needed to meet the presssure and resistance from theopposite jaw with its punch. The opposite jaw of the clamp is verticalor straight, as shown, and receives the'right-hand screw D, which isprovided or formed at its rear end with an ordinary metal punch, but ofa size sufficient to punch the hole to receive the bolt that connectsthe rails on the tracks; and near the outer end of this screw is formeda collar, E, against which the ratchetdever rests, and is maintained invertical position from displacement.

The ratchet-leverF is about three feet long, and is formed at its lowerend with a slot and circular opeuin g to receive the ratchet-wheel h andspring-pawl z. This pawl is so arranged that its point comes in contactor engages with the teeth of the ratchet-wheel, and allows the pawl toslip over the edges of the teeth and re-engage whenever said lever isdrawn backward.

After the clamp is adjusted over the rail, the passage between the jawsbeing sufficiently large for the clamp to straddle the rail, the outerjaw fitting snugly against the web and the flange portions of the rail,as seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the socket m of the ratchetlever ispassed over the shouldered portion at of the screw D and against thecollar E, thus obtaining a proper and firm adjustment of the lever uponthe feeding-screw. The ratchetlever thus adjusted upon the head of thescrew is worked by one man, giving a reciprocating motion, so that thepunch willbe fed uniformly and with positive force.

Of course the punch has the usual centerpoint on its end to registerwith the center hole and facilitate an entrance into the iron.

The tapering passage to receive the metal wads displaced from the railis on a line with the punch.

The punch may be turned or not in the punching process. If an elongatedor oblong hole is required in the rail for contraction or expansion ofthe metal, a punch of this character will be employed, so as to form ahole of that desired shape.

By the employment of a rail-clamp constructed on the principle hereinset forth the quick adjustment of the clamp over the rail, and the quickand positive movement of the feed-screw, carrying a punch at the innerend, in punching out the hole in the rail, will consume but a fewminutes, which is a very im portant result on railroads having numeroustrains. Also, by operating the feed-screw of the punchbya ratchet-leverno time is lost in removing and adjusting the lever on the feedscrew.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a portable hand-punch for punching holes in railroad-rails, theouter jaw, B, of the clamp forming an integral part thereof, extendinginwardly and reduced to a width that is equal to the space between theupper surface of the base-flange and the under flange of the tread of anordinary T-shaped rail, substan tially as described.

2. In a portable hand-punch for punching holes in railroad-rails, thecombination of the clamp, having its outer jaw forming an integral partof the clam p, and extending inwardly and reduced to a width that isequal to the space between the upper surface of the baseflange and theunder flange of the tread of an ordinary T-shaped rail, and its innerjaw provided with a feed-screw and punch, and a lever provided with aratchet mechanism, all operatin g in the manner substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ORVILLE A. GOSS.

Witnesses:

R. I. B. SWEARINGEN, WILAM DENET.

